Using ChatGPT as a Learning Tool in Acupuncture Education: Comparative Study

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
• Acupuncture Research

Background:

• ChatGPT, an advanced AI model from OpenAI, shows promise for medical applications in practice, research, and education.
• The integration of AI tools like ChatGPT into healthcare education is an emerging area of interest.
• Acupuncture programs can potentially benefit from AI-driven educational support.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess ChatGPT's utility as an educational resource for acupuncture students.
• To evaluate ChatGPT's effectiveness in teaching acupuncture point selection, treatment planning, and clinical decision-making.
• To compare the performance of ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 in generating acupuncture treatment suggestions.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of 14 acupuncture case studies published between June 2022 and May 2023.
• Utilizing ChatGPT-3.5 and ChatGPT-4 to suggest acupuncture points based on case presentations.
• Statistical comparison of the number and overlap of suggested acupuncture points between ChatGPT versions using a Wilcoxon signed-rank test.

Main Results:

• ChatGPT-4 generated a significantly higher number of acupuncture points (mean 9.0) than ChatGPT-3.5 (mean 5.6; P<.001).
• The overlap ratio of suggested acupuncture points between the two ChatGPT versions was not statistically significant (ChatGPT-3.5: 0.40, ChatGPT-4: 0.34; P=.67).
• The study included 14 out of 21 initially collected case studies.

Conclusions:

• ChatGPT demonstrates potential as a valuable supplementary educational tool for acupuncture students.
• AI-generated insights can aid in developing personalized acupuncture treatment plans.
• Further research is essential to validate the safe and effective integration of ChatGPT into acupuncture curricula, emphasizing it does not replace conventional diagnostic methods.